Bleak Christmas for Benue, Imo, Ondo, Osun pensioners over unpaid arrears

No fewer than five states, Imo, Ondo, Abia, Osun, and Benue are owing backlogs of pension arrears running into several months. Despite receiving the Paris Club refund and bailout funds from the Federal Government, findings revealed that the concerned states have failed to clear the backlogs of pension and gratuities. The spokesperson for the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Bunmi Ogunkolade, in an interview with newsmen on Friday, lamented the injustice meted out to pensioners, noting that the non-payment of the pension had imposed severe hardship on the concerned retirees. Ogunkolade said, “The states that are owing pensions are Imo, Abia, Ondo, Osun. Benue is a major culprit owing about 27 months. Ondo pays 60 per cent of the pension. The states are also not implementing the increases like the 24 per cent increment in July 2010 till date; most of the states have not implemented the consequential adjustment announced by the Federal Government.” He also disclosed that only Lagos and Borno states had started implementing the consequential pension adjustment announced by the Federal Government. The last time most of the states paid the gratuity was in 2012 so all the people that retired are still owed gratuities.

Punch